armitage



(NofMv oooo ,Patented JmL 24, 1888.l

Ziyi Y 2 sheets-'Nm 2. D. M. ARMITAGB. EXPANSION JOINT AND RAILGOUPLING.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'Y f

` t DAvID MAFKs AEMITAGE, OF'DEEEEIELD,- MICHIGAN, AssIGNoE oF oNETENTHr ro DANIEL F. GEIswoLD, oF sAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376,845, dated January24, '1888.

Application filed October 27, 1887. Serial No. 253,557. (No model.) l ATo all whom t may concern.-

Be it lknown that I, DAVID MARKS ARMI` TAGE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing atp-Deerfield, in the county of Lenawee and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements ink anExpansion- Joint and Rail-Coupling; 'and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, andl exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertainsto makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andtothe letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

-My invention relates to an expansion-joint and railcoupling, and hasfor its object to provide for the expansion and contraction of metalwhen coupled in sections, so that atthe point of juncture there shall bea continuity, thereby obviating the usual space between joints. Theinvention is illustrated as applied to a railroad-track where it isldesired to provide for a continuous,trackirrespective of the eX-pansion or cont-ractionof the rails caused by the varying temperature ofthe atmosphere.

It is well understood that in laying railroadtrack theremust be anallowance made at the point of juncture of each rail for the varyinglength of the same, caused by contraction and expansion, thereby leavinga space between the ends of the rails equal to the maximum expansion ofthe same. This open space between the rails causes an impact ofthewheels' of the train with the ends of the rails that not only causes adisagreeable jar, but tends to granulate and split the ends of therails, rendering their removal aud the substitution of new onesnecessary, and at the same time has a damaging effect upon the wheels ofthe train. This is entirely obviated by the expansionjoint 'illustratedin the drawingsfwhich are simply diagrammatic of some of the preferredforms in which the joint aswelly as the couplings for the rails maybeconstructed,wherein are shown a twopart joint capable of longitudinalmovement one upon the other, these parts beingvso connected with therails as to permit of this movement in harmony with the rails, by whichmeans there are at all times continuous rails for the tread of thewheels.

the two sections in a normal position.

two rails connected by an expansion-joinlwith ig, 2 is a likeview withthe f rails contracted and the sections of joints moved longitudinally.

Fig. 3 is a view of the expansion-joint in a normal position and with amodified form of In'the drawings, Figure l is a top view of trail-coupling, the rails being omitted the better to illustrate theseparts. Fig. et is acrosssectional elevation of the expansionjoint onlines X X,`Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a like View on lines Y Y, Fig. l, and alsoshowing a modified form ofthesections. Fig. 6 is an end View of stillanother modification in the construction-of the expansion-joint. l

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

I A' and Areprcsent the rails, fastened in the 1 Y usual manner to theties,with an intermediate space between the ends equal to the lengthwofexpansionjoint to be used. The joint is then inserted and 4connected tothe railsgin a manner as hereinafter set forth. l

The joint is composed of two sections, B and C, the part C beingpreferably formed with a broad base, as shown in Fig. 4,.nearly equaltothe width of the two sections; or, as shown in Fig. 5, the base may bethe entire width of V the sections. These sections are coupled togetherby means of tongues and grooves at rightangles to each other, as shown,the upper portion of the innerV side of section C havingaV cut-awayportionD, a square groove, E, and a raised portion, F, with an inclinedside, G,

having la groove, II, intermediate its length. Y

The portion B has a broad upper surface and a tongue, I, upon its innerside which fits into groove E, and upon its inclined side a tongue, J,which ts into groove H. By this/meanswhen the parts are coupled,with thetongues` on the top and side placed within the grooves i yE and H, thesections are inseparably joined.

K, `(shown in dotted lines, Fig. ll, and in section, Fig. 4,) arerectangular staples having screw-threaded ends K', upon which arescrewed nuts K.

Each section B and C is provided with a staple, the rear portion -of`whichis'let into the inner face ofthe section. with the ends ,Ktbent atright angles thereto and extending out of the outer side a suffi` ICOplacedthereon and be held firmly in place by nuts K. v

The railcouplings consist, preferably, of

spring plates or bars L and M, the bar L being attached to the rail A bya bolt, A, passing through the rail and bar. The bar liesin parallelrelation with the rail from its point of attachment thereto to the endthereof, at Which point it is bent at right angles and into arectangular frame of somewhat greater length than section B of thejoint, to which it is attached by means of the threaded ends K of thestaple, which are inserted into perforations in the bar and held inplace by nuts K, the opposite end of thebar or springplate bearin gfrictionally against rail A. The oppositely-arranged spring or bar M isso mewhat similar in construction, differing merely in the width of therectangular frame, and is attached to section C in the same manner asbar L.

The operation will be apparent.` When the the rails are at theirgreatest expansion, sections B and C are closed. When, however, therails contract, the sections move telescopioally, as shown on Fig. 2, atwhich time section B is held against the end of rail A and section Cheld against rail A', and the tread of the wheel is upon the sectionsWithout jar or impact.

It will be apparent that the construction of the section is capable ofvarious modifications.

In Fig. 5 is shown a form in which the base of section C is of fullWidth and section B resting thereon, or the sections may be wedge shapeand lie in reverse order. In fact, the construction of the sections canbe varied greatly without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of device for locking the sectionstogether, which consists of forming a cylindrical groove, I',

which is cutout of each section,and into which groove I, which isveasily accomplished by first inserting the lower half with the flatside up and then inserting the upper half with the at side down, afterwhich the -block is given a u half-turn and the thumb-screw inserted,the lugs P resting against the shoulder formed by the terminus ot' thecutaway portion P', by which means the sections are locked from lateralmovement.

In Fig. 3 is shown a metal strap or springplate formed by casting thesame into the desired form.

While I have shown my expansion-joint as especially adaptable for usefor railroads, it will be seen that it is equally well adapted for usein bridges, and, in fact, wherever sections o'f cxpansible metal are tobe coupled.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byVLetters Patent,

rail-sections, an expansion-joint consisting of two movable sections,each section having fastening devices to which are connectedspringplates connected to bear frictionally upon the rail-sections andmove in harmony with the Aexpansion or contraction of the rails, as and`for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with an interlocking expansion-joint, a rail-couplingconsisting of two spring-plates, each secu red to but one rail andhaving a free end bearing frictionally upon the rail to which theopposite spring-plate is connected, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that lI claim the foregoing as my 'own I hereby atlix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID MAR-KS ARLWIITAGE.

W'itnesses:

ADAM G. CLARK, JAMES E. BAYMER.

